Archive for the ‘Thought’ Category

Every Wednesday at 6.00 pm a Testimony Meeting is held at the Christian Science church in Barton (corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets). At these meetings short readings are followed by time for members of the congregation to share how they have been helped and healed through prayer.

Everyone is welcome. If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday, please join us.

The topic for the readings this week was: To Be Satisfied.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (The Bible – Isaiah 58: 11)

Health – Readings from the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, … It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (The Bible – Proverbs 3: 5, 6, 8)

Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously. (Science and Health p392)

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Every Wednesday at 6.00 pm a Testimony Meeting is held at the Christian Science Church in Canberra. Each meeting begins with readings selected from the two books designated as the Pastor of Christian Science: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. A new topic for the readings is selected each week.

At the conclusion of the short readings the congregation is invited to share thoughts on this topic and relate how they have used the principles of Christian Science to solve life’s problems and bring physical healing.

If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday please join us. Everyone is welcome.

The Getting of Wisdom – the Path from Sense to Soul – Readings from the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

The finite must yield to the infinite. Advancing to a higher plane of action, thought rises from the material sense to the spiritual, from the scholastic to the inspirational, and from the mortal to the immortal. (Science and Health p256: 1-5)

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Every Wednesday at 6.00 pm a Testimony Meeting is held at the Christian Science Church in Canberra. Each meeting begins with readings selected from the two books designated as the Pastor of Christian Science: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. A new topic for the readings is selected each week.

At the conclusion of the short readings the congregation is invited to share thoughts on this topic and relate how they have used the principles of Christian Science to solve life’s problems and bring physical healing.

If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday please join us. Everyone is welcome.

This recording represents the readings on the topic: The Getting of Wisdom – the Path from Sense to Soul

The recent disclosures about “fake news” in the media illustrate that we need to be more alert than ever to discern if what’s being said is fact or fiction.

We’re actively seeking truth, rather than blindly accepting everything we hear or read as fact. Even in the smallest of affairs, the power and effect of honesty are felt and appreciated.

Honesty is not only desirable in our dealings, it’s also linked to better health. Research* suggests that frequent lying, deceit, fabrication, or misrepresentation of the truth in our lives or in our conversations – or even accepting “fake news” as truth – can have unexpected ramifications, leading to stress and chronic pessimism.

One study at a university found that lying and cheating were common and even became quite acceptable as fellow-students were also seen to be lying and cheating. Furthermore, behavioural scientist, Professor Dan Ariely from Duke University, postulates* that we all lie to some degree, with rationalisations for our actions including the desire to look clever or cooler to others (to be the person we wish we were) or to obtain some reward.

However, in the study, cheating decreased dramatically when participants were asked to swear on the Bible or sign an honour code, or try to list the Ten Commandments before the test. Then, not one cheated!

The results suggest that, when the presence of a higher power is brought to bear on the situation, it spurs us to identify ourselves with the truthful behaviours we associate with divinity. And, this, lifts us out of poor behaviours.

The “fake news” phenomenon is not unique to this period in history. The practice of accepting those “alternative facts,” and acting on them to our detriment, has been around since before the Adam and Eve story was first conceived; and, some surmise, is the basis for it. The allegory presents man “as mutable and mortal, – as having broken away from Deity and as revolving in an orbit of his own,” explains Christian reformer, Mary Baker Eddy.

“Spiritually followed, the book of Genesis is the history of the untrue image of God, named a sinful mortal. This deflection of being, rightly viewed, serves to suggest the proper reflection of God and the spiritual actuality of man, as given in the first chapter of Genesis.” Eddy saw that identifying the true record of creation is paramount to understanding our real nature. “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good…”; it was honest and upright.

Having their origin in God, in Truth itself, these attributes are beyond human goodness. When claimed as ours, they give us dominion and heal what is not true or good in our lives – our poor behaviours, as well as our sick bodies.

When problems seem insurmountable, we’re basing our assessment on the fable that we can be separated from good, or God. That belief is literally and figuratively “post-truth.”

There was a time when I faced what seemed to be an insurmountable problem at work. I was appointed to a new role with managerial responsibilities in a large organisation, which also included working on a project with a team of other managers. Unhappily for me, one of them treated me with utter contempt in this new role, as she believed I was less than qualified and the appointment process had lacked integrity.

Feeling resentful wasn’t helping me or the situation, nor were efforts to try to prove myself. Events compelled me to turn from the Adam-dream outlook: meaning that every time I saw her or thought about her I worked hard to identify her divine nature; her honesty, integrity and kindness. It became no longer credible that meanness or prejudice could be part of this lady, or that I could be a victim of misunderstanding.

Gradually, she responded to my quiet effort to “see” what was true about us: her behaviour towards me changed so that there was no more friction, and we ended up having a respectful and harmonious working relationship over several years.

If we each learn how to be more spiritually discerning, we can prevent a loss of trust in the wider society. We won’t buy into fake news or images about colleagues, family, journalists and politicians; or, be tempted to copy them.

This article was contributed by Kay Stroud, a life-long Christian Scientist, who is a freelance writer focussing on the undeniable connection between our thinking and our experience including our health. She writes for metropolitan and regional news media throughout Australia and beyond, and is a regular contributor to Australia’s national forum, Online Opinion, and the APN regional network in Northern NSW and Queensland.

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The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.

This article, Lost Phone Found, is by a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. In it the writer tells how her prayers calmed her fears and led to the recovery of the phone.

Last year my sister and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in a game reserve in South Africa. It was a wonderful experience and we took advantage of the early morning and late afternoon game viewing safaris that were offered. Between us we took many, many photos of the beautiful scenery and magnificent animals.

My sister was taking photos on her iPhone and I was using my camera. On our last trip out, at our half-way stop my sister realised that her phone was missing. We had been sitting in the very back seat which projected out over the end of the open safari vehicle. The tracks were very bumpy and we guessed that at some point her phone must have bounced out of her pocket and fallen onto the road. We thought back to the last time she remembered using it; she had taken pictures of buffaloes about 20 minutes back.

Our guide was wonderful and offered to return to the buffaloes in the hope of finding it. Each of the seven passengers on the trip hung out of the vehicle watching on all sides as we slowly retraced our steps. At first my sister seemed quite subdued. Apart from her photos, the phone contained all her work contacts and other valued information.

My sister and I were brought up in a Christian Science family and it was natural for us to turn to God in prayer when situations like this occurred. I knew she was praying. In my prayer I claimed that God, who I know as infinite Mind, knew all things and that nothing could be lost to infinite Mind. At first I found it difficult to get over the sense of disappointment for my sister. I didn’t like to see her sad. But then I realized that this was not about a phone or about my sister; it was about what I trusted. Did I really believe that God was good and that we were safe in His care? Did I really believe that God was the only Mind, the only power? Did I really believe that God was love? I have had so many healings and demonstrations of these truths that I absolutely had to say: Yes! I do believe! As I came to this realization all sense of unrest left me and I felt totally comfortable in His love and care. At the same time my sister said: “It’s only a phone, you know. I can easily get another one” and she seemed relaxed and happy again.

Despite everyone’s concentrated efforts scrutinising the track we travelled all the way back to the buffaloes without finding the phone. It was now late in the afternoon; the light was dimming and our guide said it was time to head back. Still the comfortable feeling that all was well didn’t leave me, and my sister continued to be happy and relaxed. I knew she was feeling the same. About ten or twelve minutes down the track the young man at the very front of the vehicle called out for the driver to stop. He jumped out and picked up the phone. This was the very spot on the track where I had decided to trust and where my sister, through her prayers, had been released from all sense of loss. We had actually driven over the phone but there was not a mark on it – it was perfect.

Situations like this teach me that it is safe to trust in God’s love. I am reminded of Jesus’ statement: Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8: 32). The truth is that God is love (I John 4: 8). This is a law that can be relied upon.

To read more testimonies of healing shared by members of the Christian Science Church in Canberra click on the archive headings on the left for May, June and October 2016.

It’s a New Year! It’s the time when Aussies come together in January to celebrate the good things their homeland has to offer them. Some mark the day by having a barbecue lunch with family and friends. Others participate in official citizenship ceremonies that acknowledge new arrivals who want to call Australia home. Most of all, the occasion celebrates the hope that the year ahead will be a happy one – filled with continued peace, health and prosperity for everyone – ourselves, our family and friends included. So how do you have a happy New Year – one that’s good for your health?

GIVE THANKS

At the start of a year it’s important to give thanks for the good already received – both on a personal level, as well as collectively as a nation. In this way, we utilize the blessings we have and are ready to receive more. Such gratitude promotes happiness at home, school and work. It makes the wheels of daily life turn more smoothly by encouraging everyone to pull together, to share ideas and learn from each other.

TIP:

– Take time to be thankful that we “live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” Bible Isaiah 32:18 – in a country that is at peace with itself and its neighbours. Being thankful lifts our spirits and improves our health.

– Offer words of appreciation to others. This fosters happy, beneficial contacts between all ages, and between old and new Australians.

– Make an effort to get along with people who are different. Refuse to be critical. “Tones of the human mind may be different, but they should be concordant in order to blend properly. Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity, — these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence”. – Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health p.58

– Be glad. Don’t be a complainer. Remember, “Our gratitude is riches, complaint is poverty. Our trials bloom in blessings, they test our constancy. O, life from joy is minted, an everlasting gold. True gladness is the treasure that grateful hearts will hold”. – W. Harold Ferguson

– Be generous. “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it”. – Mary Baker Eddy Science and Health p. 57:18

– So go ahead! This January, give thanks. Have a happy New Year. It’s good for your health.

This article is by Beverly Goldsmith. Beverly is a Melbourne-based writer on how spirituality and thought affect health.

1. Start with stillness. There is always so much to be done before Christmas, so before starting go somewhere quiet to gain a sense of poise. It might be your greatest gift to family and friends, as well as fellow workers, shoppers and shop assistants. “Be the calm you want to see!”

2. Let love lead you. Take opportunities to spread seasonal “peace and goodwill”. Reordering priorities to do everything with intentional love can bring a sense of calmness and control, allowing you to get everything done more smoothly.

3. Value family and friends. As you sign, seal and send your Christmas cards (via email or snail-mail) treat each one as an opportunity to value the person you are sending it to.

4. Be kind to yourself and others. Research shows kindness is good for your health. So saying sorry, no matter who causes the collision, might be the way to negotiate crowded streets, transport and busy shopping centres.

5. Shop ethically. “Treat others as you would like to be treated” (the Golden Rule) could translate to “love the Christmas crowds as you would want them to love you.”

6. Embrace spontaneity. The need to balance work, domestic duties and social activities is always more acute at Christmas time. Keeping an open mind and making room for flexibility as each day unfolds reduces stress and increases joy.

7. Be grateful. Scientists are accumulating evidence which verifies what spiritual thinkers would affirm from experience: a gratitude attitude can reduce anxiety and depression.

8. Enjoy yourself. If you’re full of gratitude and exuding calmness and kindness why shouldn’t you cruise happily towards the kind of Christmas you enjoy? Appreciate the festive lights. Share in the growing anticipation of your children. Meditate on the Christmas story and let the message inspire you.

9. But don’t forget others. For some reason the season of goodwill seems to bring out the worst in many people’s experience. Loneliness feels more lonely. Alcoholism seems to be more obvious. Domestic tensions can spiral. Spare a prayer for those in need and, when you can, make a difference in practical ways. The message of Christmas is that peace and goodwill are good for your health.

10. Peace interludes. Pausing for moments of mental stillness can make all the difference, even transform your day. Be honestly aware of your thoughts and when they start going round in circles or racing in a wrong direction steer them back to that place of spiritual poise. “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.” (Mary Baker Eddy)

11. Forgive even if you can’t forget. It’s amazing how long family feuds and broken friendships can last if we’re not careful. The run-up to Christmas offers an opportunity to review and revise our mental list of grievances before they ruin our holiday break or, even worse, our health. The Mayo Clinic reports that forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. We can’t always change others. But we can change how we think about them and act towards them.

12. Give beyond the gifts. And finally it’s Christmas day. Does it need to be religious? Not necessarily. But there is a reason to celebrate Jesus. One way to look at his life is that he showed us how the qualities we choose to express can improve our experience and touch our loved ones and neighbours.

This article is shared by local writer and practitioner of Christian Science, Kay Stroud, who teams with Tony Lobl for this Christmas inspiration. Kay blogs for APN about the relationship between thought, spirituality and health, and trends in that field www.health4thinkers.com